Blood Results in! Drugs don't work this well.

Leafy Greens are better than drugs?  Lipitor can't guarantee these results.


The Diet

• No Processed Foods (no added oils and no refined flours)
• Whole Foods
• Plant Based

3 months ago I set out to put the challenge of the Paleo Diet head to head with a Plant Strong Vegan Diet.  I was the guinea pig, and willingly volunteered the results of this experiment with friends and family alike.  Truth be told, I thought that the Paleo diet would win out - but there is something to the Plant Based diet after all.

Results are In - Heart Health
Admittedly, I have been sitting on these results for the past week. I am shocked.  I wanted to take the time to look across blood results from the past several years.

In 9 weeks (with a focus on the Plant Strong Vegan Diet for just 6 of those weeks), through diet alone I was able to:

• Drop total Cholesterol from 234 to 158
• Lower LDL from 152 to 82
• Improve HDL/LDL Ratio from 0.43 to 0.70
• Improve apoB100/apoAI Ratio from 0.60 to 0.40
• Triglyceride levels remain well below risk (68 vs 150)

All indicators point to improved cardio-vascular health.  Regardless of where you stand in the Cholesterol debate, you cannot deny that the overall combination of numbers here points to a healthy heart.  LDL? Check.  HDL? Check.  HDL/LDL ratio? Check.  Triglycerides? Check.

Triglycerides
The chart below contains all blood tests conducted over the past several years.  Not all tests were completed by the same physician (which is why I do not have numbers for every measurement at every test).  During this whole Paleo Goes Vegan experiment I fully anticipated a significant increase in Triglyceride (TG) levels.  After all, I was now consuming grains - and according the to the avid followers of the Paleo diet, the grains are the cause of TG increase (which many argue is a better indicator of cardiac health than total Cholesterol).  I was shocked to see that my TG levels remained well within the range of "ideal health".

So, if you are skipping ahead and reading the chart you are probably thinking - "Hey, Beth, your triglyceride levels increased during the Engine 2 Immersion program and only dropped later - what gives?!"

Well, in between the two diets (Paleo and Plant Strong Vegan) I had a cheat week.  I allowed myself to eat anything that I desired for approximately one week.  And while my idea of a "free for all" diet is still considered healthy when compared to the Standard American Diet, I was definitely consuming processed grains during that time.   When I look back over the past few years I notice how much my TG have changed since committing to the Paleo diet.  Several years ago I was aware of the Zone and Paleo diet, but would follow the diet about half of the time.

Once committing to a diet there were two significant changes.    1) I stopped eating dairy products (with a few exceptions for celebratory occasions for ice-cream and fancy cheese).    2) I stopped eating highly refined grains (no flour).

When I had the first blood work completed after the Paleo diet, I had attributed the improved TG levels to the removal of grain.  But seeing that the Plant Strong Vegan diet yielded the same results, I now believe that it is the removal of processed grains that has led to the improvement.

Why am I not pointing to the removal of dairy as the reason for the improved TG scores?  Because during my cheat weeks I like to indulge in pasta and cookies (do not ever, ever leave a bag of cookies alone in the house with me, they will be gone within the day).  The week prior to the immersion, where I had a 20 point lift in TG, I consumed copious amounts of spaghetti, noodles, dumplings, and white bread.  I do not crave dairy and did not include it in the weeks between Paleo and Plant Strong Vegan.  Once on the Plant Strong Vegan plan I removed processed foods from the diet.  I had plenty of Whole Grains - but no refined flours, as a result the TG levels went back down.

Cliff Notes Version - 

• Eat processed grains/sugars, increase Triglyceride levels
• Remove processed grains/sugars, lower Triglyceride levels

Beyond Cholesterol - What about TOTAL HEALTH?
The question I would hear most during this exercise is  - "How do you FEEL?'.  Overall I felt great during the day, but was challenged when it came to exercise.  Crossfit was harder than it had been - and I lost my ability to excel in the intense work-outs.  I was once one of the strongest girls on the team, and now I am at the bottom of the pack (and no, stronger girls did not join the team).  As a result, I am less motivated to go to the gym - it just isn't as enjoyable as it once was.  Just try to keep your motivation when your skill is declining - it's not fun.

In reviewing the blood work, there are a few anomalies. 
Protein:  Total Protein is lower, but not terribly lower than it was a year ago
Liver Function:  There are a handful of markers that are elevated.

• For the first time my blood results show elevated LDH. This enzyme is an indicator of tissue damage and is also related to Anemia of B12 deficiency.  The 1-mile Body Weight Sled pull I had performed the night before the blood work probably has something to do with these results - but then again, this isn't the first time I completed a blood test after a burner of work-out the night before.  Anemia of B12 Deficiency  carries a few symptoms that I had experienced during the past 7 weeks - pale skin (yes, normally pale - but even my Northwestern acquaintances commented frequently that I had "lost color" in my face), shortness of breath in exercise, trouble concentrating (what did you say?).  I didn't test for B12 levels - and wish that I would have, but feel safe to say that this might be the cause of the elevated LDH.  Vegan diets do not provide B12, and most proponents of a vegan diet recommend supplementation.  I believe that any diet that requires supplementation is not an ideal diet and as such I did not supplement at all during the diet (to the disappointment of my ND, who kindly reminds me of the need to take Vitamin D in the winter months).
• Elevated SGOT/AST levels are indicators of liver disease OR muscle injury.  Did I mention the sled pull?  Since other indicators of liver disease are not present (all Bilirubin results were within normal range and not listed above), it is likely a result of muscle damage.

What's Next?
Somewhere between the Paleo Diet and the Plant Strong Vegan Diet is my Optimal Diet.  A diet that supports overall health, provides me with the essential nutrients needed for a long and healthy life, one that allows me to live long and strong :)

There are a handful of truths that I am moving forward with:

• Processed Foods should be eliminated from the diet.  If you can't make it in your kitchen from a whole food - don't eat it.  This includes processed flours, refined oils, artificial anything, don't eat it.
• Eat Sustainable Foods - Vegan or Not, the Industrial Agricultural System is supplying us with food that is void of nutrients, and in many cases down-right dangerous.  Healthy food (plant or animal) is the foundation of a healthy diet. 
• Wild Caught, Sustainably Sources, Grass Fed, Pasture Raised, animal products as part of  a plant based diet, can be beneficial to health.  Let's face it - we are omnivores.  But that doesn't mean that a majority of our caloric intake should come from animal protein sources.  
• Eliminate Dairy - All, and I mean ALL, research that connects cancers with consumption of animal protein was completed using Dairy Protein.  Casein.  Nature is wonderful, it has provided dairy to help baby animals grow.  Dairy = growth.  Promoting tissue growth is a good thing for infants (breast milk is best) - promoting tissue growth is not a good thing for minimizing cancer rates.  We all walk around with potential for malicious growths - whether or not we turn these cancer cells on is due in great part to our diet.  Sure - the dairy issue is debatable, but really there are no nutrients we gain from dairy that cannot be gained from other food sources - so why even risk it?

I'll be continuing my search for the Optimal Diet in a Sustainable Future.  And while I figure out the details of evolution, I encourage questions - feedback and thoughts.

PS - I am also looking for a few more guinea pigs to go through the experiment with me.  Interested?

Total Cholesterol is not a complete indicator for CHD

Total Cholesterol has been touted as the number to look to when considering total risk for Cardiac Heart Disease. 

But recent research indicates that the combination of low HDL2 and high LDL is the recipe for CHD (and not Total Cholesterol- TC).  Your TC number is made up of subfractions of lipoproteins.   Basically:

Total Cholesterol = HDL + LDL + VLDL

According to a cohort study completed by the Berkeley Lab it isn't the Total Cholesterol number that matters, but rather the combination of the HDL, LDL, and VLDL within the Cholesterol.  In all cases where Total Cholesterol seemed to be associated with Cardiac Heart Disease, the LDL number was the reason the Total Cholesterol number was high - and it was actually high LDL (in association with low HDL) that led to heart disease.

BW Workout and BW changes

Yesterday was the final day of the second stage of Paleo Goes Vegan.

This morning I had blood work completed (results due within the next 48 hours) and this evening I completed my benchmark workout.  For the past 6 weeks I have adhered to a strictly vegan diet. No animal products at all and I have focused on a Plant Strong Vegan diet - relying on minimally processed foods, limited oil consumption, and limited intake of added sweeteners.   As mentioned in earlier posts, overall I feel good - but there have been a few minor setbacks:

Body Composition

It changed.  Overall I lost 6 pounds since the beginning of the diet, and nearly all 6 pounds were lost in the first week.  While the weight loss might seem to be a benefit it really wasn't.  Where I lost the weight, and where I gained it, actually resulted in a change in body shape. I can't believe I am about to post this - but in the effort of transparency and full disclosure - here goes.  I lost my butt and gained a belly.  Seriously - place me in a baggy shirt and slim jeans and overall I look thinner, but I wear the same size clothing now - I'm just filling out my clothing in different places.

Exercise
Over the course of the last six weeks there was a noticeable change in my ability to maintain intense workouts.  Overall strength remained, but the met-con Crossfit style workouts became challenging.  I decided to pick one workout to complete at the end of the Paleo portion of this personal experiment and then again at the end of the Vegan portion. The workout was a BW (Body Weight) 1 mile sled pull for time.  The pull is actually more than body weight as we are loading a sled that weighs approximately 15kg (33lbs).   Load the sled with weights, tie rope around a belt, pull the sled on asphalt for one mile (sounds fun, right?).  I thought that this would be a good workout, and since I was having trouble with intensity, I assumed that I would perform better on this workout as it combined strength with endurance.  I was wrong.

On February 18th I completed this workout in 42 minutes at a BW of 60kg.  Tonight I completed the  same workout in 47.26 minutes with a BW of 58kg.  That is 12% reduction in performance.

Blood Work

I am waiting for the final results from the blood draw today and should have an update by the end of the week.  I had blood work completed twice on the Paleo diet.  Once was approximately 2 weeks into the diet and again 2 weeks later.  I was able to compare these to a test completed on year earlier, a time when I was following a healthy diet but not a strict Paleo Diet.  Here are some of the results:

• Total LDL
• 2/03/10: 107
• 1/14/11: 130
• 2/4/11: 152
• Total HDL
• 2/03/10: 44
• 1/14/11: 73
• 2/4/11: 65
• Triglycerides
• 2/3/10: 155
• 1/14/11: 62
• 2/4/11: 63
• Total Cholesterol
• 2/3/10: 177
• 1/14/11: 215
• 2/4/11: 234

The Paleo Diet is effective at dropping triglyceride levels, but tends to raise total cholesterol levels in the process.  Recent information suggests that total cholesterol might not be the best indicator of overall health and that triglyceride levels should be the focus.  This seems to be at the core of the debate between the Paleo followers and Vegan proponents.

What I have learned is that these levels can change drastically in a very short time with a change in diet.  You can see how a quickly the numbers change in a 3 week window, simply by following the Paleo diet.  What I haven't shared with you yet is that in this process I allow myself a "cheat" week.  A time where I fall off any diet and consume what ever it is I want (I still lean toward whole foods, but tend to consume more sugars and fat that I might normally eat and would consume some processed and refined foods).

Before moving onto the vegan diet I allowed myself a cheat week.  I continued to eat meat, but added grains (pasta) and sweets and some refined foods like chips.  Upon entering the immersion program our blood work was completed at the beginning of the week and at the end of the week.  The results are as follows:

• Total Cholesterol
• 2/21/11: 200
• 2/26/11: 180
• HDL Cholesterol:
• 2/21/11: 61 
• 2/26/11: 55
• Triglycerides:
• 2/21/11: 83
• 2/26/11: 84
• LDL Cholesterol:
• 2/21/11: 122
• 2/26/11: 108

Isn't fascinating how in 5 days results can change so dramatically! Cholesterol lowering drugs do not perform this well.  What is also of interest is the change from the Paleo tests to the tests at the beginning of the immersion program.

These numbers changed when I decided to go off any diet and introduce non-healthy foods.  I added sugar and refined foods and flours and my numbers improved.  Let me say that again - my diet got worse and my numbers "improved" (with the exception of triglycerides).  Something is wrong here, and I question if it's the diet. 

The final results are almost in.  I have requested a VAP report, so later this week we will compare VAP from 2/4/11 to VAP on 4/5/11 and really dig into the results.  For now, I am going to thoroughly enjoy my post workout protein shake (complete with egg protein, sun butter, berries, and flax).

Vegan or not - this dish rocks!

I have been exploring the vegan diet for nearly 6 weeks now and everyone wants to know if I am tired of the food yet.  On the contrary - the food has been fantastic (the only issue is getting access to great food when I am on the road).

My favorite recipe so far is a variation of Rip's Sweet Potato Bowl the Engine 2 Diet book.  It's really easy, and really delicious - meat eaters and vegans agree on this.

  The recipe is simple:

• 1 cooked carrot - sliced
• 1 cooked Sweet Potato - cut into bite size cubes
• 1 Mango - peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes
• 1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 can of black bean, rinsed and drained
• 1 avocado, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro
• 1 Tbsp of Braggs Amino Acid or Balsamic vinegar

Mix all carrot, pepper, beans together and warm (microwave will do),  Add the mango, avocado, cilantro, and drizzle with Braggs.  The recipe will easily serve two.  Trust me, this is much, much better than it sounds.

T Colin Campbel didn't mention this . . .

I had the rare opportunity to personally ask T Colin Campbell, author of The China Study, if any of the studies on animal protien had been conducted using a animal protein source that was not casein (dairy).  The conversation went a little like this (from memory, not exact quotes):

Me: Is there research showing cancer rates using a non-dairy animal protein?
Campbell: Yes, there are studies that show that protein from vegetable sources do not promote cancers
Me: I'm sorry, the question was are there any studies from non-dairy animal protien sources?
Campbell: Casien is representative of all animal protiens. (short answer, then moved on to next question)

This left me to believe that there were no studies conducted on non-dairy animal protien.

Perhaps Dr Campbell doesn't consider fish to be an animal, since he actually conducted a study in 1985, comparing fish proetein to animal protien.

His findings:
This study provides evidence that fish oils, rich in omega 3 fatty acids, may have potential as inhibitory agents in cancer development.

The gist of the study results:
Casein (dairy protein) + Corn Oil = Cancer
Fish Protein + Corn Oil = Cancer
Fish Protein + Fish Oil = Significant decrease in development of cancer

Does anyone else see a trend here?

In Search of Science -

How can you site studies and sources that doesn't acctually support the claim you are making?

It's been a while since my last post for 2 reasons. 

1. I've been on the road this last week and was challenged with setting time to post.
2. I've been seeking sources for information to help determine the optimal diet, but finding that the science does not actually support the claims being made by health professionals.

There are numerous studies and articles, some telling you that a vegan diet is optimal and others promoting a more carnivorous lifestyle.  As I seek to find the answers I have gone in search of the science that backs up these claims.  And I am appalled by the claims made by well respected sources. I am constantly finding articles and resources that reference scientific studies, only to find that the studies that are reference do not actually support the claims that the author is making. 

Today, as I prepare to make the amazing Raise the Roof Sweet Potato Lasagna, I went to the Engine 2 website to get the details on the recipe. While skimming through the site I decided to follow his link to "About the Science", which led to a list of links where I could pick a health topic to explore. I chose to read up on cancer, since that seems to be the most controversial between the vegans and meat eaters.

Once in the post  I followed an external link titled "Meat Consumption and Cancer Risk".  This link directed me to the website of the Cancer Project.  On the site is a lengthy article referencing studies which support a reduction in meat as means to preventing cancer.  The article sites 39 references. 39!  Wow, it must be right, right?

One of the first statements in the article "Large studies in England and Germany showed that vegetarians were about 40 percent less likely to develop cancer compared to meat eaters".  40% is tremendous - if these large studies are right then why aren't more people adopting this diet?  This one sentence references 3 sources.  So, let's look at the source -

Source One : Debunked!

• The first was a 1994 study by the Department of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The study concluded that "These data do not justify advice to exclude meat from the diet since there are several attributes of a vegetarian diet apart from not eating meat which might reduce the risk"

Source Two - Debunked!

• The second was a German study that was first published in 1992 in Epidemiology in which a cohort study of 1,904 vegetarians and persons leading a health-conscious life style in Germany were followed for 11 years.  5 years into the authors of the study felt that "healthy participant effect, higher socioeconomic level, and the greater health consciousness . . may have explained most of the observed decreased mortality" and at the end of the study concluded that "nondietary factors, such as virtual absence of smoking and lower BMI may have also contributed to the lower mortality of the study participants".  Basically - this study did not conclude that meat consumption was the reason for cancer deaths.

•  Furthermore, additional research completed based on this study conclude that vegetarians may have lower mortality from ischemic heart disease than nonvegetarians, but no associations of a vegetarian diet with other major causes of death were established.

Study Three - Debunked!

• The third reference comes from a study that was a follow up the the previous article. In the 1993 study "Dietary and lifestyle determinants of mortality among German vegetarians" researchers a the Division of Epidemiology at the German Cancer Research Centre, followed up on the 11 year study.  They concluded that "a lower risk of death among moderate vegetarians suggests that sound nutritional planning may be more important than absolute avoidance of meat".

So the statement "Large studies in England and Germany showed that vegetarians were about 40 percent less likely to develop cancer compared to meat eaters", is based on NOTHING.  There is NOTHING that supports the statement that vegetarians are 40% less likely to develop cancer than meat eaters.  In fact there is no link to cancer in these studies and consumption of meat.  In all studies the authors were unable to conclude that meat is responsible for increase in cancer rates.

I feel that I have been lied to.  I've been had!  And by a nonprofit organization committed to preventing cancer.  I am in moral conflict - how can I be so upset at an organization with such good intentions?!

We must go to the source - and know that just because a person has an M.D. at the end of their name does not mean that they automatically earn our trust.  Most frustrating in all of this is that I want to believe  that a vegetarian diet will reduce my odds of developing cancer.  But when I have been given false information it creates a cloud of distrust on all information coming from this group.

Does ANYONE out there have a study that supports that completely eliminating all animal meat from the diet will improve health?  Anyone . . .  just need one study that is not using casein(dairy) as the protein source.

Anyone  . . . . . .

Striking the balance between Calorie Density and Nutrient Density

Carbohydrates from calorie dense and nutrient poor sources (think white flour and white sugar) have been linked to an increase in chronic kidney disease. 

Shocking . . . we know that white sugar and white flour is detrimental to health, it's nice to see studies supporting this.  But I am still on the fence about nuts and seeds.  I love having them as a part of my diet, and have not seen adverse health problems from including them in the diet, but my recent goal of 20% of calories from fat means cutting back on these little gems.

When it comes to PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) one study suggests that nuts can reduce rates of inflamatory disease mortality. Nuts are very high on calorie density, but also quite high in Nutrient Density.

In fact, on average nuts and seeds out-perform whole grains in regards to nutrient density.  This chart comes from the Eat Right America program and is listed on wholefoodsmarket.com

Taking an average ANDI score for the top 10 foods for both categories I end up with Nuts and Seeds with an average of 48 out-performing the top 10 grains that average out to 31.6.  So why am I consuming so many grains while trying to avoid the fats in nuts and seeds?

Now don't confuse this questioning, I am not reverting on my ban on oil (which, by the way, has a nutrient density score of 9 for olive oil).  I can appreciate that the calorie density for quinoa is lower than the calorie density for cashew, and lowering calorie density is good for someone trying to control their weight - but veggies and fruit have a lower calorie density than grains, so why even bother with the grains?

There are several different Nutrient Density charts out there.  These come from Dr. Fuhrman and his Eat Right America program.  ANDI stands for Aggregated Nutrient Density Index.  For the calculation Dr. Fuhrman follows H=N/C, where H stands for Health, N for nutrients, and C for Calories.

So, what nutrients are being calculated?   

• Calcium, Carotenoids: Beta Carotene, Alpha Carotene, Lutein & Zeaxanthin, Lycopene, Fiber, Folate, Glucosinolates, Iron, Magnesium, Niacin, Selenium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc, plus ORAC score X 2 (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity is a method of measuring the antioxidant or radical scavenging capacity of foods).

What is missing from this list?  What about amino acids? Essential Fatty Acids? Vitamin A, D,  K?  Minerals? Additional nutrients?  The problem with placing a number on our food is that it not only misses out on capturing the known nutrients - but it misses the unknown and currently undiscovered nutrients.  What would happen to the ANDI scores of Fish and wild meats, and even other fruits and vegetables, once we included additional nutrients to Dr. Furhman's list.

We need not look farther than nature to find the foods that we are designed to eat.  The ANDI score is a great start - but it only scratches the surface.  And it casts doubt on how much grain we should be consuming.  There is more to appreciate in this beautiful bounty from the land and sea.  To blanket everything in simple terms of Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats not only is damaging to our health, but prevents us from appreciating the complexity and nourishment that comes from a peach rather than a cookie.